Forgiveness
by Aiko-Chan SoT
Summary: Book 3 in the To Say Goodbye Series: It is with great pleasure that I introduce the third and final book in the To Say Goodbye series. Summary in profile. Rated for violence and profanity. :COMPLETE!:
1. Prolouge: Signs

_I've returned! The book we've all been waiting for has now been starting. The third and final book in the _To Say Goodbye _series HAS ARRIVED! YAY! I know I've been waiting to start this story, and I'm glad it's time to start again. And I'm so sorry that I'm late. I've been really busy. But next weekend, I have a four day weekend, so I will update maybe twice. If I can. lol_

_This has really been an adventure, writing this story for my fans. I've really enjoyed giving the characters a little more background toward one another, and I kept them in character, for the most part. I think the upcoming character (-coughshadowcough-) will be the most out of character. _

_Thanks to the fans and reviewers of the story. I have a monolouge ready for the final chapter, so I'll save it for then. xD _

_And this is reallllllly short, so I'm sorry. I've been really sick and my sister had a birthday party Saturday, so I didn't have a lot of time to type._

**-x-Forgiveness-x-**

**Prolouge:**

Signs

_"You may delay, but time will not."_

** Benjamin Franklin**

The dark room was silent. No moon light flickered through the windows to light up the midnight black room. Everything was motionless inside the room.

But in a single moment, everything changed.

The room began to vibrate, shaking and shivering, slowly at first, then it became more violent. With every passing second, the vibrating grew worse, until the roof began to crumble ever so slightly. A hum started vibrating through the house, growing louder and louder, until it was earshattering. Then, in the same instant it had started, in a blast of blinding white light, the shaking and humming was gone, replaced by silence and motionlessness.

In the darkness something sturred suddenly. Two red eyes shot open, narrowed and concentrating. They blinked once, then narrowed further. He knew what the vibrating and humming meant, and it was time to act.

He stood up, his red eyes the only lumination in the home, and it was all he needed. He took silent, slow steps through the house, his red eyes unfocus in thought.

Red eyes narrowed even futher, and a frustrated sigh left parted lips as he lifted his hand for the window, twisting the handle and pushing it open with a small squeak. The moonlight entered through the open window, lighting up the room and making his black and red fur glow in the light. His red eyes glowed brighter as he stared at the crescent moon, scanning the sky around it. He watched as the three nearest stars to the moon flicker gently, before they dimmed slowly and disappeared from sight.

He knew what the two disappearing stars meant.

Someone had broken through the fabric of time. And he was almost certain he knew who it was. To him, all of the signs were telltale.

He turned away from the window and the sky, heading back into the luminated house. Had the hedgehog not heeded his warning? That time was a matter not to be dealt with? Had he and the echidna went and traveled through the fabric of time, even after he was told the dangers? And who was the third person, flying through time, represented by the third star fading in the sky? Red eyes blinked slightly, and he shook his head. His warnings were always to be taken seriously. After all, why else was he still alive after hundreds of years? Why was he, himself, the keeper of time?

He reached for the drawer nearest to the wall, walking past all the clutter lying on the floor. The drawer opened quietly, and the room was immediatly sent into a blinding light. The red jewel lying in the drawer lit up the room in blinding red light, but red eyes didn't even blink. He reached into the drawer, lifting the jewel from the bottom of the drawer, and lifting it into the air. His red eyes glowed like fire as he stared into it, squeezing it tight in his fist.

Time to fix the mistake that had been made.

His eyes narrowed slightly, and the room shook around him. The humming started again, growing louder and louder, and his fist grew tighter and tighter, and just as it looked as the room was going to explode, a red blinding light flashed suddenly.

And when the light disappeared, he was gone, and the room was purged into darkness and silence once more.

**-End of Chapter-**

_I know it's really short, but I had to show how this person (-coughshadowcough-) knew they didn't pay attention to his warning and went back in time. This also shows how he went back in time himself. There will possibly be two updates next week, and I also had a request to do another story, one that shows my opinion on how Sonic and Tails met. Until then!_

Aiko-Chan SoT


	2. Relapse

_Yay, new chapter! -is excited- This really officially begins the story. I can't wait to get this started! -dances-_

**Forgiveness**

**Chapter 1:  
**Relapse

_"...I'm looking at you through the glass  
Don't know how much time has past  
Oh, God, it feels like forever  
But no one ever tells you  
That forever feels like home  
Sitting all alone inside your head..."  
_**_Through Glass by Stone Sour_**

He didn't know if he was still alive as he felt his conscious slowly leaked back into him. That is, he wasn't sure until the pain hit him like a brick wall, and he gritted his teeth, tensing his muscles as if trying to escape the pain. He didn't want to wake up, didn't want to move and have to face the pain he knew was coming.

That was, until all that had happened what seemed moments earlier came rushing back to him.

His green eyes opened quickly, careful to keep his body motionless. As his vision returned to him, he saw the clear blue sky looming above him, the branches from trees swaying in the small breeze that also ruffled his fur. As feeling returned to his body, he guessed he was lying on grass and someone was lying next to him. Wincing in pain, he lifted his body into sitting position, rubbing the back of his stiff neck. He glanced next to him, seeing a red echidna just sitting up, groaning and rubbing his head.

Sonic the Hedgehog turned his head away from Knuckles the Echidna and scanned the area in front of him. Trees lined the path in front of them, and the clear blue sky was just visible above them. About 50 feet in front of him loom a large stone tower, just touching the sky, with smaller stone building around it.

And with a heart soaring with excitement, Sonic knew that it had worked. They had come back in time.

"Knuckles!" he exclaimed, ignoring the throbbing pain growing in his skull. He whipped around to face the red echidna, who was squinting in the sunlight trickling through the branches. "Knuckles, it worked! We made it!" Knuckles blinked a few times, eyes settling on the stone buildings in front of them. Sonic pointed at them, a grin on his face. "Those are the Tyethone Ruins!" Knuckles violet eyes widened in surprise.

"It...it is!" he said, looking around some more. "The emeralds...they actually sent us back in time!" Sonic turned away from Knuckles, the grin still spread across his face. They were so close, so _close_, to saving Tails...He could almost taste the victory it would bring. Sonic leaped to his feet, scanning the sky, trying to figure out what day they were sent to. Next to him, Knuckles was climbing to his feet, nearly falling over in the process. Once standing straight, he joined Sonic in looking around.

"Any idea what day it is?" Knuckles asked, and Sonic shrugged.

"No idea." He looked at Knuckles. "Lets head home and see whats going on there." Knuckles nodded, and Sonic grabbed Knuckles's arm, and both disappeared in a flash of blue and red.

**-x-x-x-**

Sonic skidded to a stop, looking up the slope to their house. Immediatly, his breath caught in his throat as it tightened, and uneasiness flooded over him. In the nearly three months it had been since Tails death, Sonic had only seen the kitsunes face in photographs. Now, for the first time, he would see Tails alive. And he wondered if he would actually survive it. The guilt that washed over him was nothing compared to what would come if he actually saw Tails.

He felt Knuckles move next to him, breaking him out of his trance. His green eyes flickered to the red echidna, who looked at him impatiently.

"C'mon, Sonic," he said firmly, crossing his arms. "We don't have all day." Sonic was struck by how ironic those words were. His mind raced as he blinked and looked back at the house. Then with a sigh, he started up the hill, with Knuckles walking beside him.

By the time he reached the top, his heart was pounding. And not from the effort of walking up the mountain. It was from his nerves, from what he hoped was there, and what he hoped was not. He stopped before reaching the house, holding his arm out to stop Knuckles as well.

"We can't just barge in the house," he said before Knuckles could shout at him. "What if _I'm_ in there?" The words felt weird on his lips. He looked at Knuckles and blinked. "We have to look inside without being seen. How weird would the be if there were two of me in there?" He turned around toward the house, narrowing his green eyes. Without another word he started toward the house, staying low to the ground in the process.

His heart hammered in his chest, and he wondered briefly if Knuckles could hear it from where he was at, just a few feet behind him. Sonic leaned against the house, keeping unseen and making sure no one was outside. One he was sure the coast was clear, Sonic darted under the window, keeping low to the ground. Knuckles remained against the wall nearby, motioning for Sonic to look into the window. Sonic suddenly felt very small, and his heart sped up, but with a deep breath, he stood up, glancing inside the window to his home.

Inside the house, everything looked exactly as it had before Sonic and Knuckles had departed for Angel Island. Sonic scanned the room, wondering if no one was home. But his guess was destroyed when a mirror image of him stepped in from the hallway, making Sonic gasp in surprise. It had been forever since Sonic had looked in the mirror, but the last time he did he looked way different from this. The Sonic that stood in front of him had vibrant blue fur, and a sparkle in his green eyes that showed his pride and carefree thoughts. A sparkle in his eyes that he hadn't seen since he watched Tails die in front of him.

The Sonic inside the house stopped walking and turned around, looking down the hallway and speaking, though Sonic couldn't tell what he was saying. He ducked a little farther down the window to avoid being seen, but could still see what was going on. He watched as someone else entered the room, and immediatly his heart skipped a beat. He watched as an orange fox walked into the room behind the hedgehog, two tails flowing behind him. His blue eyes sparkled gently, and he spoke to Sonic, whose words were lost to his ears.

Seeing Miles 'Tails' Prower alive and well in front of him was almost too much for him to bare. Guilt exploded in his chest, making him cringe visably with pain. The last time he had seen Tails's blue eyes was when they were fading with his life. He watched his past self and Tails talk a few minutes, before his past self nodding, waving at Tails and heading toward the door. He watched as Tails turned around, walking into the hallway and out of sight.

Sonic lowered himself to the ground, trying to make his heart beat normally instead of the fierce speed it was going at now. He could think of nothing else but the way Tails eyes shined. He could only think to compare them to the dead blue ones he last saw. He closed his green eyes, letting the pain as fresh as it had once been sink in, letting it send his heart into a pain turmol.

He opened his eyes after a few seconds, and turned to look at Knuckles, who was once again checking if the coast was clear. Sonic, keeping low to the ground once again, walked toward the echidna, knowing exactly what day it was. His green eyes narrowed when he reached Knuckles and the echidna turned around to face him.

"It's two days," he said, looking back toward the window. "We have two whole days to plan something out." He blinked slowly, his eyed unfocusing. "Right now, if I remember correctly, I'm going for a run in the forest, near the ruins. I won't be back until about 9 tonight." Eyes returning into focus, Sonic looked up at the sky, eyeing the lowering sun. Silence reigned for awhile, until Sonic stood up, dusting himself off. Knuckles stood next to him, blinked his violet eyes slowly.

"So now what?" he asked, and Sonic shrugged, turning away from the house.

"I guess we should find a place to hide out around here for the next three days," Sonic replied, walking toward the small trees lining the edge of the cliff that fell into the ocean. "We need to watch what is happening around here." When he reached the trees, he slipped between two of them that were close together, revealing a rather large clearing, hidden by the trees. "We can hide out here," he told Knuckles, turning to face the echidna. "It's perfect. We can watched without being seen."

Knuckles nodded, pushing himself inside next to Sonic, and sitting down, sighing heavily. Sonic plopped down as well, resting his head on his hands. It was quiet for awhile, and Sonic's mind raced with thoughts. It wouldn't be long now. Only three more days, and they could keep the tragedy of Tails's death from happening. They could save him by getting to Metal and killing him first, before he could harm a hair on Tails's head.

And then it hit him.

What had happened to Metal when they had disappeared into the time void? Had he fallen off the island, or had he been pulled into the past with them? Sonic hadn't seen the robot when he had awaken earlier, but the thought of Metal following them into the past... It was hard not to believe the robot was capable of it. A chill shivered down Sonic's spine, and he prayed that the robot hadn't been pulled with them into the past. It would be all they needed.

"Sonic." Knuckles' voice broke through Sonic's thoughts, and he jerked out of his trance, turning to face the echidna. "What happens tomorrow? What are we going to be watching for?" Sonic looked away for a moment, feeling the guilt trickle back into his chest.

"Tomorrow...we stay at home," Sonic said, blinking slowly. "Then the next day...we have to be ready." He looked away from Knuckles, crossing his arms. "I can't believe we're this close..." Silence took over after his words, and Sonic kicked at the dirt in front of him, letting his mind wander again. Pretty soon it would all be over, and they could return to their normal lives.

But his mind switched gears then. He remembered the mysterious red-eyed figure that he had saw the evening before they went to Angel Island, remembered his words that had chilled Sonic. The words were haunting to his ears, and he could still hear them ringing in his ears. What had he meant when he said the emeralds weren't on his side? A chill shot up Sonic's spine, and he shivered slightly. He pushed the thoughts out of his mind, lying down on the dirt with his arms behind his head. His looked at the sky, the sun just settling behind the mountains, sending the sky into a beautiful mixture of pink and purple colors. A few feet away, Knuckles settled down as well, sighing deeply.

Before he knew it, Sonic's eyes were closed and he was snoring softly, with Knuckles doing the same a few feet away.

**-x-x-x-**

The was just _great_.

He walked through the dark forest, growling under his breath. Trees blocked his way, and he moved them aside easily, walking farther into the forest. It was getting thinner, but he only liked forests when they hid him, not when he had to get through them. He cursed under his breath, pushing aside more trees and bushes. The forest continued getting thinner, and for that, he was thankful.

Finally, after another 10 minutes of pushing and walking, he exited the heavy forest, sighing in relief. He looked around at where he was, and saw land spread in front of him before it fell away about 50 feet, dropping into the ocean. After a quick look, he found himself alone, and he walked forward, looking over the cliff falling into the ocean. The stars twinkled above his head, more so that usual. He back away from the cliff and sighed, looking at the forest.

Suddenly, the ground starting shaking violently, and the force of it sent him to his hands and knees. It continued for a few more minutes, when, with a loud snap, it stopped.

"Damned earthquake," he growled, getting to his feet. "What the hell caused that?"

"That would have to be me."

The gruff and angry voice came from the far side of the clearing, and he whipped around quickly, switching his body into attack position. In the darkness of the night, two red eyes glared at him.

"And who the hell are you?" he replied to the voice, sneering at the dark figure. The two red eyes narrowed slightly, and he sensed the newcomer was moving toward him. He waited, not attacking just yet.

"I am the keeper of time," he said, stopping a few feet short of him. "I am Shadow." In the darkness, Shadow crossed his arms.

"Where did you come from?" he asked the newcomer, narrowing his eyes. "What kind of display was that?"

"I come from the present, obviously," Shadow replied, glaring at him. He raised his eyes in response. "And obviously you do too."

He crossed his arms, switching into normal position and eyeing Shadow. "So we come from the present, okay. But how did you get here, and why? Time travel doesn't happen everyday, you know."

Shadow nodded, and lifted his hand, opening it. Suddenly the entire clearing lit up in a brillant red light, and he squinted at it, stepping back at the brightness of it. And the moment it lit up the clearing, it was gone, wrapped back in the strangers hand.

"That's how," he said, smirking in the darkness. "And why? Three people time traveled at one time today, and time travel disrupts everything, whether you know it or not." His red eyes narrowed in the darkness. "You were obviously one of these three. Can you tell me who and where the other two are?"

He grinned at Shadow, the whirring in his body growing louder. His red eyes flashed, mirroring Shadow's.

"I know exactly who they are."

**--End of Chapter--**

_Who wee. Pretty good chapter, but mostly the ending was good. So good to come back with my new story._

_Guys, I need help with songs. I'm running out. If you have any idea on songs that deal with this story, can you give the name to me?_

_Thanks for reading guys, and please review! I will reply!_

**Aiko-Chan SoT**


	3. Shadows

_Here I am again, with another chapter. Glad everyone who reviewed enjoyed the last one. I love writing these chapters, and look forward to it every week. To me, the reviewers are an honor, not a necessity. I could live without them, but they give me the will to keep going when I get writers block or something. _

_Also, heads up. I changed some stuff on the last chapter. Really, all I changed was the song lyrics. I found better ones! xD Check that out if you want._

_Anyway, I checked the hits on the last two books, and I must say, the number of hits for each story shocked me. I stared at it for at least 12 minutes before shaking my head in astonishment and moving on. xD It was amazing, though I don't remember the numbers, but I think they were in the hundreds for each. _

_So here's chapter 2! Trust me, things will get more interesting as the story goes on. Can't wait till later cause I know what will happen! -laughs at all the people who don't know what will happen-_

**Chapter 2:  
**Shadows

_"...When did I lose my sense of purpose?  
Can I regain what's lost inside?  
Why do I feel like I deserve this?  
Why does my pain look like my pride?..."  
_** No Roads Left by Linkin Park**

_There was no moon in the dark night sky. And the stars appeared to be hidden behind clouds. The forest stretched out in front of him, dark and forboding, the leaves motionless and casting eerie shadows along the ground._

_He walked under their branches, not knowing where he was going or why he was going there. He simply walked, his mind blank and empty. A void filled with nothing. The more and more he walked, the farther the forest seemed to become. He was getting nowhere, but still he kept walking._

_From nearby, the bushes rustled loudly, but he didn't turn his head. From the bushes stepped a shadow, a figure reaching toward him from the sides of the path. But he simply walked on by the shadow, ignoring it. His eyes were set directly in front of him, nowhere else. Another shadow, a smaller one, lept from the bushes once more, but he did the same as last time. He kept walking, paying no mind to the shadow-encased figures that followed slowly behind him. _

_After awhile, the forest still stretched in front of him, and he suddenly stopped, blinking blankly in the darkness. From behind him, the bushes rustled, and he turned around slowly, his eyes narrowing gently. The two shadows were still behind him, following him slowly. They stopped 20 feet away from him, and he could feel their eyes drilling into his soul. He made no move, made no effort to attack or get away. He simply watched them._

_The forest around him seemed to get a little darker. Suddenly, with a small flash, the figures eyes glowed red, glaring at him. Immediatly, there was a chain reaction. His mind was no longer blank in the seconds the eyes flashed to life. He still had no idea where he was or where he was going, but he knew who he was, and who _they_ were. Immediatly, fear poured into his eyes, and he took a step back, clenching his fists together. He knew he would probably die, but he wasn't going down without a fight._

_At almost the same time, the two shadows got closer and closer, their red eyes glaring at him. He could no longer move, as if frozen by some unseen force. He fought against it, but couldn't win, and he could only watch as they got closer and closer. When they were 2 feet away from him, they stopped. He attempted to free himself again, but he couldn't get away, and watched with wide eyes as the two shadows got closer and closer to one another, until they were merged as one, red eyes merged together twice as bright. And then, they lunged at him suddenly, and he closed his eyes, bracing for the impact._

_They slammed into him, sending him flying backwards into the darkening forest. He fell on his back, and quickly scrambled to his feet, clenching his fist and ready to fight. But they were no where to be seen. Only his shadow stretched out in front of him. He blinked in confusion, and when he opened his eyes again, he was still looking at his shadow, but now his shadow had two glowing red eyes..._

"Sonic...Sonic...Sonic!"

Sonic awoke with a start, his eyes flying open immediatly. His heart was hammering in his chest, and a cold sweat drenched him. Green eyed bright, he gasped for breath, struggling to get his body to relax.

"Sonic! Wake up!" The harsh whisper came to his left, and Sonic sat up, looking in that direction to see Knuckles kneeling by the trees, his violet eyes narrowed and angry. When Sonic's green eyes met his violet ones, he motioned for him urgently, and Sonic dashed over silently, kneeling next to him.

"We've got company," he whispered, and Sonic peered out the edges of the trees, his green eyes searching the clearing for anything. Then he saw it. A shadowed figure was standing in the middle of the clearing...and his red eyes glowed brightly in the moonlit night. A soft whirring reached Sonic's ears, and he immediatly felt sick.

Metal _had _followed them into the past...

Sonic felt frustrated. They couldn't escape the insane metal doppleganger. Even disrupting time couldn't keep him away. Sonic muffled a quiet growl, wishing that somehow they could get rid of the robot.

"How did he get here?!" he asked Knuckles angrily, being careful to keep his voice down.

"I can answer that question."

At the sound of the new voice, Sonic whipped around, immediatly on his feet. He glared into the darkness at the figure standing there, silohetted by the moonlight. The newcomer stood with his arms crossed, his quills standing up behind him, and his red eyes glaring at Sonic with dislike. Sonic knew immediatly who the figure was, and wondered if _every_ enemy he had come in contact with followed him into the past.

"It's you," he said, narrowing his green eyes and clenching his fists. "I remember you. You're the one that gave me some warning on the emeralds--"

"Yes, and obviously a warning you didn't listen to," interrupted the newcomer in a harsh and cold voice that chilled Sonic. His red eyes narrowed. "And to answer your question, that robot got pulled along with you when you traveled through time. Friend of yours, maybe?" The voice was sarcastic, dripping with venom.

Sonic snorted, becoming annoyed with every passing second. "Hardly. And who are you? How do you know we traveled through time?"

The shadowed figure shifted his weight to his left leg. "Impatient, aren't we?" He sighed, shaking his head and glaring straight through Sonic. "I am Shadow, the so-called keeper of time. And I know you came from the present because of the signs left when you disappeared."

Sonic cocked an eyebrow, confusion flickering in his eyes. "Signs? What signs?"

Shadow sighed, closing his eyes. "Those questions aren't to be answered yet, hedgehog," he replied, and reopened his eyes. "And who are you, to think my warnings aren't to be heeded? They were told to you for a reason."

"As a matter of fact, I'm Sonic the Hedgehog," Sonic replied, growing angry. "And what are with those warnings anyway?"

"What are you talking about?" Knuckles asked from behind Sonic, obviously confused from the passings of words. "What warnings? I've never seen that hedgehog before in my life."

"I met him outside the house the night before we headed to Angel Island," Sonic explained without taking his eyes off of Shadow. "He told me something about the emeralds not being on our side, or some riddle like that."

"It wasn't a _riddle_," Shadow replied, uncrossing his arms. "It was a _warning_. How much simplier can it get? The emeralds aren't on your side. Their power is far too great to be handled by anyone. That's why they were broken apart by their makers."

"Thanks for the history lesson," Sonic sneered sarcastically. "But I think we already knew that."

"Then why can't you understand?" Shadow's voice was beginning to get deeper, more frustrated. "Those emeralds, they shattered when you used them, remember? The power they used to send you here...i-it's unstable! What can't you understand? You're being here could change the future for everyone, not just yourselves. Why are you here anyway? What made it so necessary to come back to this time period?"

Sonic glared at Shadow, his anger boiling in his blood. "Why don't you go and ask your _partner_ out there?" Sonic growled, his muscles tensing. "It's his fault we're here. He killed my best friend...and I'm here to make sure it doesn't happen." Shadow's red eyes flashed angrily.

"Things happen that no one wants," Shadow said, his voice low and quiet, as if in regret of something that had happened to him long ago. He closed his eyes. "Things happen that people want to change so much that they feel if they don't, they'll simply stop breathing." He paused a moment before continuing. "But people have to learn these things happen, and time brings healing." Shadow opened his eyes, looking at Sonic, and Sonic could swear he could see the hauntings of regret swimming in his eyes.

"But I can't heal," Sonic said quietly, narrowing his green eyes. "Time won't heal my wounds. He was murdered. _I _watched him die. _I_ watched the light leave his eyes. And when he died part of my soul went with him." His green eyes shimmered. "I loved that guy like a brother...And it's _his_ fault he's gone." Sonic thrust his arm toward Metal, standing in the middle of the clearing, his red eyes still bright. "_He's_ the reason Tails is gone." Sonic paused, swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat. "Blame him, if anyone. But you can't stop me. I'm getting my brother back."

Shadow stared at Sonic for several long moments, his eyes flickering gently in the darkness. Behind him, the moon was setting on the ocean. The wind blew gently, ruffling the fur on Sonic's quills. After several moments of silence, Shadow closed his eyes, recrossing his arms. Sonic looked at the ground.

"Honestly, it doesn't matter. As I said before, the emeralds aren't on your side. Everything will stay as it is...forever." Shadow blinked. "I will let you figure out that lesson on your own."

Sonic looked up from the ground and at Shadow, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"What? You're saying it won't work? he asked, anger ringing faintly in his voice. "You're saying, no matter what, the past will stay the same? That we can do nothing to change it?"

Shadow blinked at him, his red eyes cool and emotionless as he turned away. 

"Decipher it however you like," he said, his voice carrying the same cool and emotionless tone as his eyes. "You overestimate what you can do by attempting to change the future." He looked over his shoulder at the hedgehog. "There was a reason those stones were shattered. A reason." He closed his eyes as he looked away, walking away from the hedgehog. "But do what you want. I won't stop you. I only step in if things get out of hand."

And with that, he disappeared into the shadows, and was gone.

**--End of Chapter--**

_YAY! Good chapter. It cleared up some of the stuff going on. Can't wait to get farther into it. All the mysteries and question will be answered! Yay! _

_Also, for this chapter, I listened to _Leave Out All the Rest _by Linkin Park. _**Storm Midnight**_ reminded me of this song, and it works well with the entire story, on Tails part anyway._

_Hope you enjoyed this chapter!_

**Aiko-Chan SoT**


	4. Random Authors Note

I've never actually done a full chaptered authors note before, so I guess nows a good time to start. Of course, I know it's not too well with the rules and stuff, but I just had to let my reviewers and readers know how much they really mean to me.

Guys, I love writing. I love making up new stories for fanfiction. I enjoy every moment of finding the right songs, the right chapter titles, the right plotline. I enjoy writing the story, rereading it to make sure it fits. I love the emotion I put into the stories. I love crying along with the characters in my story, feeling angry when they do, lonely when they do. I feel my characters emotions, because, quiet honestly, their emotions are emotions I vent out when I feel bad.

Writing has always been my escape. It's been my way to vent when things are awful, my way to make myself feel better any time I feel bad. I can honestly say that if I didn't have my talent as a fanfiction writer, I probably wouldn't have made it past those terrible parts of my life.

And my reviewers...Thats the entire reason I have written this long ramble about fanfiction. Without my reviewers, I wouldn't have made it this long with writing. Reviewers have influenced me, supported me, and they're the reason I continued writing for so long. They've pushed me when I've had writers block, and even when I didn't. Reviewers are what make my updates so frequent.

So this is to my reviewers. Thank you so much. Without you, this story, and all my others, would never have continued as far as they had. Thanks you guys so much. You have no idea, _no earthly idea_, how much these reviews mean to me. Just...absolutely _no_ idea.

Thank you. Thank you guys so, so much.

God bless you!

Aiko-Chan SoT

And now, on with the next chapter!


	5. War

_So sorry for the extremely late update. Life has decided to take over, and I have a job, a crush on a guy...well, some of you know how it is. ;) But heres the update, and I'm sorry for the delay._

_And yeah, I've kinda run out of songs. o.o lol. The only one I have left is saved for the last chapter. xD Go figure. _

_Well, hope you enjoy this chapter!_

**Chapter 3:  
**War

Sonic remained standing, his eyes locked on the spot in the shadows where Shadow disappeared. The dark hedgehog's words rung in his ears long after they left the air around them. _The emeralds aren't on your side_... Sonic clenched his fists together, unable to believe that they couldn't change what happened.

After several moments of staring at the shadows, Sonic turned around, facing Knuckles, who was standing motionless behind him, eyes focused on the figure of Metal still standing in the clearing. Sonic's emerald eyes flashed, and anger boiled in his blood. He gritted his teeth, growling under his breath.

"It's not fair," he snarled quietly, clenching and unclenching his fists. "It's _not fair_. He's always there. We can't escape him, even through time!" Sonic's head pounded, and he closed his eyes. "What will it take, Knuckles?" he snarled again, his anger fading into hopelessness. Head still pounding, Sonic forced a sigh as he slid to the ground. "What will it take to get away from him?" Sonic opened his eyes, his vision blurred by angry tears. He looked up at Knuckles, who was beginning to move again, and shook his head. "And what the hell did that Shadow mean when he said the emeralds weren't on our side?" It grew quiet outside, the only sound that off the crickets chirping. Knuckles sighed deeply, closing his eyes.

"What if we are wasting our time, Sonic?" Knuckles said quietly, in almost a whisper. Alarms rung in Sonic's head, and he jerked his eyes back up to Knuckles's. Knuckles closed his eyes, shaking his head hopelessly. "What if we're doing this just to watch him die again?"

"Don't say that!" Sonic snarled at Knuckles, emerald eyes flashing in anger. Rage boiled inside his bloodstream, and Sonic gritted his teeth so hard it hurt. "Don't say that, Knuckles." He paused, looking down at the bloodstain still on his glove. "It won't happen again. I can't let it." He closed his eyes a moment, trying to regain control of his rage and grief. When he reopened them, his vision swam with tears. "I won't survive it."

"Think about it, Sonic," Knuckles replied, his voice low and regretful, as if he didn't want to speak them at all. "Do you really think you can handle it if something goes wrong and you have to watch it again?" Knuckles paused. "And we won't be able to come back next time..."

"Shut up, Knuckles," Sonic growled, getting immediatly to his feet. "Just...be quiet. Don't say things like that!" Sonic gritted his teeth, glaring at Knuckles. "If you think this is hopeless, why did you agree in the first place? Why did you pretend to care about Tails just to--" Before Sonic could finish the sentence, Knuckles had tackled him, and was pressing him hard into a tree trunk, his violet eyes burning with anger.

"Don't _ever_ say I just pretend to care!" he shouted, his fists clenched against Sonic's shoulders. The blue hedgehog cringed in pain as Knuckles sharp knuckles dug into his flesh. "Don't _ever_ say that! You know damn well I care! You know damn _well_ he was my friend as well, Sonic." Anger still burning in his gaze, Knuckles dropped Sonic and angrily turned away, walking a few feet. Sonic slid down from the tree, his shoulders sore from Knuckles's harsh treatment. His green eyes narrowed as they followed Knuckles, and he laughed bitterly.

"Okay, so you care," he said, uttering another dark laugh. "But now you want to quit. We're so close, _so close_, and you want to quit based on information from a stranger." Another laugh. "Do you know how stupid that is, Knuckles? Besides, how the hell would we get back in the first place? We're stuck here." Sonic got to his feet, glaring at Knuckles. "I can't believe you would want to let him stay dead."

"You don't understand, Sonic!" Knuckles said, turning around again to face him. "I never saw what happened. But I can see it play in your eyes. Every time I look at you, I see it." He paused, shaking his head in frustration. "And I know it would kill both of us to see it again." He looked away from Sonic, toward the moon. "I want Tails back as much as you...but I don't think neither of us could go on and see this again."

Sonic remained quiet, looking away from Knuckles at up at the starry sky. Once again, Knuckles' words made sense, and Sonic didn't want them to. For two months, all he waited, all he _lived_ for, was the hope of seeing Tails again, for bringing him back.

And now, a single stranger, calling himself the 'keeper of time', was threatening to change all of that.

Sonic shook his head, looking back at Knuckles with anger and determination sparking in his eyes.

"Do what you want," he told Knuckles, closing his eyes and crossing his arms. "I'm staying here and saving Tails, with or without you." He opened his eyes again, narrowing them. "I have to. If I don't..." His words trailed away, and he didn't bother to pick his sentences back up. "No 'keeper of time' is stopping me from bringing him back."

Knuckles said nothing, and Sonic scoffed, walking toward the opposite side of the small clearing. The wind lifted from the ocean, blowing through the trees and into the clearing. The tree leaves rustled gently in the darkness, and ruffled Sonic's quills. He looked out over the ocean, at the moon bright and silver, hanging just above it in the sky. It's reflection stared back at it from the ocean, and Sonic looked down at the water.

Everything was so difficult. Never could he get the easy way out of anything. Metal stalked him continuously, and it was because of him he was here in the past in the first place. Sonic looked over his shoulder at Knuckles, who was sitting on the other side of the clearing, with his eyes shut. Sonic sighed and looked back at the ocean, the wind blowing around him. And now, his only friend remaining on the planet was disagreeing with the plan to save Tails. Sonic closed his eyes, feeling the wind wrap around him.

Once again, he asked himself how it had all led to this. One simple mistake was all it had took, and Sonic had lost almost everything. How much more would it take to get it all back?

For a moment, Sonic wondered if Knuckles was right. What if this was just another way to watch Tails die? What if he was invisible to everyone, unable to help anyone at all? The thought chilled Sonic, grasping his heart with sharp claws, and he pushed the thought away.

I had to work, it just _had_ to.

With another sigh and another glance at Knuckles, Sonic layed down on the ground and closed his eyes.

**--;**

Sonic awoke the next morning from the bright sunlight shining down at him.

Groaning, Sonic sat up, his head pounding and his eyes stinging. He rubbed both his head and his eyes and looked around the clearing. It was morning.

One day closer to putting everything back to normal.

He got to his feet, stretching, then looked around the clearing for Knuckles. But no red fur met his eyes, and Sonic narrowed his gaze thoughtfully. Where had the echidna gone?

It was then that he remembered their disagreement the night before.

Sonic's heart sank in his chest. Had Knuckles really left him? Had he gone to find someway back to the present? Sudden panic filled Sonic's mind. What would he do? He couldn't do it alone before, so how could he help Tails alone now? He glanced around the clearing again, just to be certain he wasn't overlooking anything, but still, Knuckles was nowhere to be seen. Sonic swallowed hard and then walked to the trees around the clearing to look out to the house.

When he peered through the branches, Sonic saw himself walking across the cliff side toward the house. It felt odd somehow, looking at himself from afar. It was like he was looking into a mirror into his past.

And, to be honest, he pretty much was.

He watched as his past self walked to the door and stepped inside, closing it with a snap behind him. For a moment, Sonic sat there, watching the door as if waiting for his past self to come back. Then, he narrowed his eyes, blinking quickly. What time could it have been? He tried to recall what happened the day before Tails' murder, but he couldn't remember all that happened. With a growl, Sonic sat down on the ground, suddenly feeling overwhelmed with everything.

Then, something red moving near the cliff caught his eye.

Sonic looked back through the leaves, and gasped when he saw Knuckles sneaking up toward the house. Something told him it was _his_ Knuckles, and not the past one. Looking at the door again to make sure no one was looking, Sonic bolted across the clearing toward the house, and pressed himself against the outside wall. Knuckles looked up in surprise when Sonic suddenly appeared, and Sonic glared at him.

"What the hell are you doing?" he whispered harshly, glancing back toward the door. "You're going to ruin everything!" Knuckles simply grinned at him.

"No way," he said back, pushing up against the wall himself. "You left a moment ago for something, and when you were gone I snuck inside. I saw Tails, Sonic." Sonic's heart leapt into his chest. "He was doing something with a Chaos Emerald..." Sonic's heart fell again, for he knew what would happen tomorrow before the fight. He looked away from Knuckles.

"So...that means tomorrow..." he trailed off, looking back to Knuckles. "Now all we have to do is wait until tomorrow. Then we can stop this." Knuckles frowned again, but before saying anything, he began hurrying back toward the clearing. Sonic, confused and growing frustrated, followed him, arriving before he was even halfway. He stood with his foot tapping and his arms crossed.

"What was that?" he asked, narrowing his green eyes at him. Knuckles hesitated.

"Sonic...I...I still don't think we should do this," he said, looking away. "Think about it. What if something goes wrong and we lose something else?" Sonic said nothing, only narrowed his eyes further. "What if I die? or you die? What then? That will only make things worse."

"We have to try. Damn it, Knuckles! We don't _know_ what will happen!"

"That's my point!" Knuckles cried in anger, clenching his fists. "We _don't know_! For all we know, some time warp will happen, and we'll all be killed! What would you do then? What _could_ we do?"

"We have to try, Knuckles!" Sonic cried in reply, his face inching closer to Knuckles. "We have to try! This is what I've been living off of! If we let it drop, theres no way I'll stay alive! I _need_ him, Knuckles!" Sonic paused a moment, shaking his head. "He's my brother. It's my fault he's dead...I need him back." Sonic looked away, anger making his blood boil.

"Well, I'm sorry, Sonic," Knuckles said in a low voice. "I understand you need him. I've seen the way you've looked the past few months. But what if we don't save him? What if...if I die too. What would you do then?" Sonic said nothing a moment, his mind whirring. Then he looked at Knuckles, his green eyes sober, and smiled slightly.

"What options do we have, Knuckles?" Sonic whispered, shaking his head and laughing darkly. "If I die, so be it. If you die, I'll come following behind." He shook his head again, shutting his eyes. "Either we're alive together, or dead together."

"Fine, Sonic," Knuckles whispered back, his eyes narrowing. "If I die, so be it. If you die, then I'll follow you." Sonic looked back up at him, narrowing his eyes. "I'm just as serious as you are. If you're going to be a coward, I will be a coward as well."

"I'm no damn coward, Knuckles!" Sonic snarled, clenching his fists. "Have you seen what hell I've went through the past two months? Huh? You're calling me a coward after I watched the life leave Tails' eyes?" Knuckles cringed. "You dare call me a coward after seeing that? Well, you're damn wrong." With that, Sonic turned away, heading toward the edge of the cliff. Knuckles watched him for a moment, his violet eyes angry, yet sympathic at the same time, before he, too, turned away, facing the opposite direction.

And so the war between the friends began...

**--End of Chapter--**


	6. Conflicts

_Happy New Year, everyone:3 For those of you living in the US, the ball dropping in New York was pretty cool. But after 15 years of watching it, it gets kinda old. lol_

_So, here the next chapter! Call it a...eh...New Years gift. :D Hope you enjoy!_

_And I'm sorry it's late. But the holidays were more...well, busy than I thought they would be. o.o_

**Salvation**

**Chapter 4  
**Conflicts

_"...When it's time to fill the void  
My whole life has been destroyed  
And everyone around me say  
My time is running out  
I refuse to surrender_

_I refuse to surrender..."_  
**- Time is Running Out by Papa Roach**

Sonic stared out at the ocean, his green eyes still blazing angrily.

For months, Sonic had believe that Knuckles was on his side, that he would risk anything to help bring Tails back. But now, Sonic wondered how far Knuckles had planned to go with the whole thing. For the entire two months, had Knuckles planned to stop when they got so close to their goal? Or did he simply not believe they would ever find a way? Either way, Knuckles had chosen his side now.

And Sonic suddenly felt very alone.

He looked up at the sky, clenching his fists in frustration. For so long he had waited for this. He had waited to taste victory so close. He had dreamed of finally seeing Tails again. He had hoped to go all the way with Knuckles by his side. Now, he was suddenly running toward his goal alone, with Knuckles lost somewhere behind him. Sonic closed his eyes, breathing deeply as the ocean breeze whipped against him.

Well, that was fine with him. He could save Tails on his own.

And even as he thought this, Sonic knew it was impossible.

There was no way he could save Tails alone. He had started with Knuckles by his side, and without Knuckles with him on that final stretch, he would surely lose. But he was too close to the finish line to stop and go back for Knuckles. If he turned around now, Sonic would never make it in time.

Victory seemed so far away now... It fluttered in front of him, just out of reach, taunting him.

Sonic felt like punching something.

He knew Knuckles was somewhere behind him, but Sonic felt no need to face him right now. He knew using angry against Knuckles would simply come back to bite him, so it was best he stayed away for now. But what Sonic wouldn't give to smack some sense into Knuckles.

Tails had to be saved. He just had to be brung back. And to Sonic, that was as common of sense as anything.

He reopened his eyes, blinking against the strong sunlight. It had to be around noon now, and Sonic struggled to think of what happened later today. He knew tomorrow Tails would be... He shook his head, shaking that thought away. He knew what happened tomorrow, but what about later today? He looked toward the bushes, lifting his fists.

Maybe it was just best to lay low and watch the house for today.

Avoiding looking anywhere near Knuckles, Sonic walked toward the bushes, looking out at the small house. The clouds blocked the sun out for a moment, and Sonic didn't have to squint from the bright light of the sun. He watched the house, his mind racing from one thought to the next.

And they all seemed to come back to Knuckles.

Scowling under his breath, Sonic shook his head, closing his eyes. He knew he had to do something, but it was impossible for him to get by his pride. Still scowling, Sonic forced himself to glance over his shoulder toward Knuckles. The red echina had his back to Sonic, facing the side of the clearing, away from the ocean. From what Sonic could see, Knuckles was deep in thought, his violet eyes narrowed, frustration burning in them. Sonic was about to turn away, growling under his breath, but just then, the sun came from behind the clouds, and the sun glinted off something in the bushes.

"Knuckles!" Sonic said, leaping to his feet. "Look out!"

The echidna's head shot up, and the moment Sonic shouted, something shining in the sun leapt out of the bushes with a loud whirr. Sonic reacted quickly, and quickly pushed Knuckles away, shoving the echinda head first into the bushes.

And the moment something slashed through him, Sonic knew Metal had decided to join them.

The sudden attack sent Sonic flying backwards toward the ocean, spinning through the air. He landed on the ground hard, rolling several feet before coming to a stop. He gritted his teeth against the pan exploding through him, and quickly picked himself up. He could feel blood dripping down his leg, but he ignored it, instead eyeing the glinting, dented body of Metal, standing before him with a smirk on his cold face.

"Metal..." Sonic whispered, winching against the pain scoring up his leg as blood dripped down the wound. At the sound of his name, the robot whirred louder, his grin widening.

"We meet again, Sonic," the robot said, his red eyes growing brighter as he eyed the hedgehog in front of him. He crossed his arms, still grinning. "I figured you would've given up by now."

Sonic chuckled darkly. "I told you, Metal," he said, blinking slowly as his green eyes narrowed. "I'm not giving up."

At this point, Knuckles had pulled himself from the bushes and was staring with wide eyes at both Sonic and Metal. Sonic ignored him, his focus entirely on Metal. He could deal with Knuckles later.

The robot chuckled, his strange metallic voice making Sonic's ear twitch. "Foolish hedgehog," he said, shaking his head as he dropped his arms at his side. "When will you learn?" He lifted on hand, and Sonic braced himself to jump out of the way. "The past cannot be changed as easily as you think." With the raised hand, Metal made a fist, dropping it back at his side. He grinned at Sonic again. "Nothing will change. I'm sure Shadow mentioned that earlier."

Sonic glared at Metal coldly. "That black hedgehog? Yeah, he mentioned it." Sonic clenched a fist. "But that doesn't mean I'm stopping." Metal dropped his smile, whirring loudly.

"Well, then, I guess I'll have to stop you." Even though the robot was damaged, he could still fight as if nothing was wrong. And Sonic figured this out the hard way.

In the blink of an eye, Metal was gone, and Sonic was suddenly struck hard from behind, sending his sprawling forward as pain exploded in his back. Fighting against the pain, Sonic flipped in the air, landing on his feet. He was aware of Knuckles suddenly joining the brawl, his red fur racing by Sonic only a millasecond before Sonic raced toward Metal, his feet flying beneath him. The robot waited before Sonic was upon him, and leaped into the air. Sonic shot underneath him, and Metal came down ontop of Sonic, crushing Sonic into the ground immediatly. The colbalt blue hedgehog cried out in pain as he felt his body being pressed into the ground. Metal leaped off, and Sonic quickly leaped to his feet, winching in pain as he raced again toward Metal.

Just then, Knuckles snuck up on Metal while his attention was on Sonic, and the echidna punched the metal robot hard in the back. Caught off guard, Metal was thrown forward, crashing head first into the ground. Sonic, prepared for the sudden attack, sent a flying, swift kick into the metal head of his doppelganger, and the robot skidded across the ground, clanging as his metallic body hit rocks on the way. Sonic landed on his feet, regaining his balance, just as Metal rolled to a stop, his body dented. Knuckles walked to Sonic's side, and Metal began to stir, causing both hedgehog and echidna to tense in preparation of battle.

The robot lifted his head, his red eyes widening and narrowing, widening and narrowing, over and over. He whirred loudly before the noise slowed, nearly becoming silent as the robots eyes narrowed again, this time remaining narrowed into small slits.

"Not bad," he whirred, slowly picking himself up off the ground. Metal stood several feet away from Sonic and Knuckles, eyeing each with pure hatred burning in his robotic eyes. "I still don't understand why you're risking so much."

Sonic gritted his teeth, narrowing his own green eyes. "It's a little something called 'brotherly love'," Sonic growled, clenching his fist. Metal shook his head, lifting his arms in a shrug.

"I know no emotion called 'love'," Metal said. "My memory banks show nothing of this emotions." His red eyes narrowed further. "'Love' is nothing to me."

"Because you're a robot," Knuckles said beside Sonic, and when Sonic glanced over, the echidna's violet eyes glared at the robot. "You were created, not born. You could not know the definition of love, let alone the feeling of it." Knuckles paused, and Sonic watched him closely. "Brothership is something that cannot be taken away easily." Then, the echidna chuckled, his violet eyes darkening drastically. "And you're going to learn that the hard way, Metal."

For a moment, the robot simply stared at Knuckles, his red eyes glaring. He whirred loudly, as if chucking the information somewhere his data banks where he could remember it. Then, his red eyes blinked, and he shook his head. "So you say," he replied to Knuckles, chuckling darkly. "But we'll see who gets the last laugh, won't we?" The robot grinned at them evilly. "But for now, farewell. I can assure you, we'll meet again, clone." His red eyes flashed to Sonic, darkening as they glared at him. "And I suggest you be prepared."

And before either Sonic or Knuckles could speak or move, in a flash of white light, Metal was gone.

For a moment, Sonic stood there, sighing in relief. Once more, they had survived an attack from Metal. But how many more could they take before they were defeated? Sonic closed his eyes a moment before reopening them. And this was exactly why he needed Knuckles for the final stretch of the race.

Without looking toward Knuckles, Sonic stepped forward, only to cry out in pain and nearly topple over from the pain shooting up his left leg. He regained his balance, shifting his weight to his left leg, and looking down at his left. A long cut made its way around Sonic's calf, not really deep, but still bleeding from the fight just moments earlier. It was quiet painful, the cut throbbing, but Sonic knew he would live. He placed the injuried leg back down on the ground and limped forward, not even bothering to turn toward Knuckles.

"You're still mad." Knuckles's voice reached to him from across the clearing, and Sonic stopped in his tracks, his eyes narrowing. He still didn't turn to Knuckles. The statement from him was blunt, and Sonic felt ready to explode on the hardheaded echidna. So Sonic didn't answer. Knuckles sighed. "Look, Sonic, I can't help but worry about this. You know what risks we have. I can't watch anyone die."

"That's exactly why I need you, Knuckles," Sonic said, turning his head to the side. "I need your help. And that battle a moment ago just showed you why. Alone, we won't make it. If we work together...well, we have a chance to save Tails, and forget this ever happened." He stopped, and silenced controlled the moment. Sonic turned his head back toward the ocean.

"I understand that, Sonic," Knuckles said, sighing somewhere behind Sonic. "We've got each others back. I got that." He paused, and Sonic didn't reply, simply staring at the ocean stretching in front of him. "But what might happen...Sonic, we can't afford to risk that."

"Knuckles, we've been over this." For the first time, Sonic turned and faced Knuckles, his eyes blazing with intense detemination. His mind was set, and Knuckles knew it. "Now, you're either with me, or against me. Because there's no way I'm changing my mind." He paused, closing his eyes. "I'm either going with you, or I'm going alone...and dying." He reopened his eyes, glaring at Knuckles. Knuckles didn't reply, turning away from Sonic was walking toward the bushes, disappearing inside them.

Fighting growing frustration, Sonic sighed angrily, shaking his head and looking back at the cliff. His body was still a little sore from the earlier fight, but Sonic barely felt it over the growing frustration. He had no idea how he planned on making it to the end if he was alone. He knew he would probably die alone...And if that happened, so be it. Even after so long, the pain hadn't dimmed. Instead, it grew with each hope Sonic gained. In death, at least the pain would be gone, and Tails would be back.

Feeling his heart skip a beat painfully, Sonic clutched at his chest.

**--End of Chapter--**


	7. Breathe

_This is the next chapter to Forgiveness. Hope you enjoy!_

_Sorry for the lack of updates, but school is really rough. But you'll be glad to know only three chapters are left of this story! At the most, only four chapters are left in this book of the trilogy. This is really a grand thing for me to finish, one of my last goals as I am 15. I turn 16 Feb. 15. D_

Sanctuary_ should be updated soon, so look out for that! And you'll notice the next chapters will probably all have Breaking Benjamin lyrics. I'm going to their concert in March. D Can't wait._

_Anyway, on with the chapter!_

**Chapter 5  
**Breathe

_"...You took the breath right out of me  
You left a hole where my heart should be  
You gotta fight just to make it through  
Cause I will be the death of you  
This will all be over soon  
Pour salt into the open wound  
Is it over yet? Let me in..."  
_**Breathe by Breaking Benjamin**

The rest of the night seemed to drag by.

The anxiety of the coming day hung in the air, smoothering Sonic as he paced around the clearing, his mind racing with several thoughts at once. The coming day would decide the outcome of the rest of Sonic's life. With that, and Knuckles's doubt about joining him, hanging above his head, Sonic could hardly breath. He knew that if Knuckles left, he wouldn't win. He would probably die in the battle against Metal. Either way, it didn't matter. Once dead, the pain would be gone, and Sonic and Tails could both wait for Knuckles beyond death.

The thought was creepy, but accurate.

He walked along the edge of the cliff, the sun just above the waves, glinting on the water. He stared at the fire red rays, reflecting brightly off the waves smashing against the shore below. He imagined how the battle would play out tomorrow, and he wondered how he would fight to save Tails. He knew, somewhere along the line, his actions would mess up the future, sending parts of what happened into turmoil. But he really couldn't care less. All he worried about was saving Tails. The other outcomes, they could deal with them later.

Looking away from the ocean, Sonic's green eyes focused on Knuckles, staring out at the house from his place near the bushes. From where Sonic stood, Knuckles violet eyes gleamed from the sun, and for a moment, Sonic caught something in his gaze the hedgehog had never seen before.

Fear.

Fear was glinting in his powerful friends eyes. Sonic narrowed his eyes, blinking in slight bewilderment. Never before had Knuckles had fear evident in his eyes. This was a side of Knuckles that Sonic had never seen, the fear, and he felt he wa intruding on a private moment, so he looked away, feeling awkward. He knew if Knuckles was afraid, he should be, too. But, even when he tired, Sonic couldn't bring himself to feel fear. He wasn't afraid. He was ready to fight, or die trying. There were two options Sonic could take, and he knew that was it. The breeze stirred the fur along Sonic's quills, and a chill rushed through him, sending his fur on end.

Had it been the breeze that chilled him, or his strange lack of fear?

Either way, Sonic knew what he had to do. He looked back to Knuckles once more, the red echidna still watching the house. Sonic watched him for several moments, wondering where it would go from here. He wondered if he and Knuckles would make it out alive, and if Knuckles was going to be with him at all. Sonic looked back toward the sun, setting on the waves out in the ocean. What if this was the last sunset he ever saw? What if he died tomorrow, alone, trying to stop what already happened?

Another chill crept up his spine, and yet Sonic still felt no fear.

Sonic was suddenly tired of the silence, tired of the quiet air surrounding them. He felt sudden frustration boil in his blood, and he clenched his fists, turning around for the third time. He watched Knuckles a few moments before taking a single step toward him, and stopping. He crossed his arms, shifting his weight to his hip, narrowing his eyes at Knuckles. He sighed loudly, frustratedly. Something flickered in Knuckles eyes, and his ear flicked toward Sonic, but there was no other motion to show he acknowledged him. It didn't matter. Sonic was going to speak anyway.

"So what are you going to do?" Sonic asked, his voice just above the waves below. A moment of silence followed his word, the only sound the wind blowing through the leaves. Knuckles didn't look away from the house, and for a moment, Sonic wondered if the echidna was going to answer. Then, Knuckles's voice traveled to his ears from across the clearing.

"I don't know." The answer a blunt, short, and Sonic felt his patience trickling away already.

"What do you mean, you don't know?" Sonic replied, his frustration evident in his voice. "We've got less than 24 hours, Knuckles. I need to know. Now." He paused a moment. "Are you with me, or not?"

The red echidna blinked twice, his violet eyes still focused on the house. Then, he turned to Sonic, his violet gaze set.

"I can't, Sonic," he told the hedgehog, shaking his head. His voice was strong, but the pain showed in his eyes. "You shouldn't do this. I will not watch you get killed. And I...I won't see Tails die either." He paused a moment, looking at the ground, and for a moment, Sonic wondered if he really was talking to Knuckles the Echinda, and not someone else. "If you go, you will probably die. No, you _will_ die." He looked back up, his gaze narrowed. "If you think I could just stand by and watch that, you're wrong."

Sonic stared at Knuckles for a moment, his emerald eyes narrowed slightly. It wasn't alot that Knuckles let his true care for his friends show, and when he did, Sonic found it a moment to pause and let it sink in. But this time, more than Knuckles concern had to sink in for Sonic. His words nearly shocked Sonic, and he felt the words fully take effect on him. He would be alone in the battle tomorrow.

Sonic swallowed hard, his outlook suddenly very bleak. But to his surprise, no horror or fear smacked Sonic, and once more, he was left emotionless, empty, as if the thought of saving Tails was still all that kept him alive. He looked down at his feet, biting back the anger and betrayal her felt. If this was going to be the last time he talked to Knuckles, so be it.

"Fine," Sonic said bluntly, not daring to meet Knuckles's eyes. "Fine." He turned away, arms dropping to his sides. "I'll go alone. I'll save Tails by myself." He swallowed hard, then closed his eyes, tilting his head down. "So I guess you'll have to find Shadow, tell him to take you back to the present." Silence met his words, and Sonic tensed slightly, anger beginning to creep to the surface of his emotions. He turned around, facing Knuckles who stood near the bushes, looking away from Sonic. "Just leave...Be a coward and leave."

After a moment of silence, Knuckles looked up to Sonic, his viole eyes burning. "I'm no coward, Sonic," he warned, his voice low and dangerous. "I just know my limits, how far I can go without it being a total waste." Sonic narrowed his eyes. "You're going to simply kill yourself."

"Maybe then the future will change, Knuckles." Sonic paused, growling slightly. "Maybe you'll forget all about this, all about deserting me."

"Damn it, Sonic!" Knuckles shouted, and in fury, sending his fist straight through the bark of a tree with a loud grunt. The bark of the tree crunched, and a large gapping hole was left in the tree. Sonic wasn't fazed, and simply glared at Knuckles. "You just...You don't know when it's hopeless! It's over! We can't go any farther!" He gritted his teeth, shaking with anger. "We can't win. We can't. Tails will not come back, Sonic. Something will happen, something will keep it from changing." Sonic looked away, shaking his head.

"I won't believe that, Knuckles," Sonic explained calmly, his eyes emotionless. "I can't. This is all I have left." He finally looked back at Knuckles, blinking. "For years, Tails has been my brother. And it's my fault, Knuckles. It's my fault he died." He paused, looking away again and clenching his fist. "I can't live with that. I can't. I never showed how much that kid meant to me, how much his friendship meant." He looked back up, his eyes glistening. He felt the pain, fresh within him, as if the wound had reopened, bleeding and gaping as it had before. "And I hurt him. I hurt him, and I can't live with that." For a moment, Sonic thought he would lose control again, but to his amazement, he didn't. He clutched at his emotions, keeping them controlled. He squinted his eyes shut, fighting the pain. "I'm going to stop it from happening again...to apologize..."

"Whatever happened, Sonic, I'm sorry," Knuckles said, his voice calm once more. When Sonic looked up the echidna's violet eyes were troubled, uneasy, but focused on his decision. "But we can't do it. We can't."

Sonic glared at him, turning away. "Then _you_ leave. I'm staying right here. I'll either save him...or die trying. There's no other option for me." For a moment, there was silence, then the rustling of bushes. Sonic didn't bother to turn around, sitting down next to the cliffside, swinging his legs over it and staring down at the water.

"I'm sorry, Sonic." Knuckles voice carried from the other side of the clearing. Still, Sonic didn't turn around. "I can't watch you both die...I can't. Maybe you'll...you'll change your mind and come back." Sonic didn't reply, so Knuckles continued, and the rustling of bushes mixed with his voice. "Goodbye, Sonic...and good luck."

And just like that, Knuckles the Echidna left, leaving Sonic alone to fight another neverending battle.

For several moments, Sonic couldn't breathe. His breath caught in his throat, making it impossible to exhale. He simply stared at the water below, fighting the shock and betrayal and anger that grew within him. When he finally could breath, Sonic gasped, still not moving, filling his lungs with fresh air. He continued staring at the water, not blinking, not moving.

It took several seconds to feel the tears dripping down his face.

But Sonic didn't attempt to wipe them away. He remained motionless, letting the tears fall from his face, crashing onto the water below. He didn't understand. He couldn't understand. How could Knuckles do that? How could he simply not care, and leave, without even trying to fight?

To Sonic, none of what he said made since.

Again, Sonic couldn't breathe. Maybe the shock of what happened was doing it. Or maybe the broken friendship that stretched before him. Maybe it was only Knuckles and Tails that kept him alive. He struggled to breath, and when he finally inhaled again, he nearly fell over from the pain coursing through him. For the first time since Knuckles left him, Sonic finally moved. His head dropped into his hands, his elbows onto his knees. He gritted his teeth, closing his eyes, and wondered why, wondered how?

He had never found it so hard to breathe before in his life. His had never found it so hard to simply fulfill that task. Knuckles and Tails were all he had, and now, he had nothing. That fact was what made it hard for Sonic to inhale and exhale. He took another shuddering, difficult breath, and more tears fell from his eyes. He felt empty, unwhole. His heart skipped a beat painfully, and Sonic wondered why it kept beating, why it wouldn't stop. It felt so empty, so cold, like it _wasn't even there_. But it still kept beating, pulsing inside him, keeping his living.

And Sonic hated it. All of it.

The breathing, his heart, all of it. Life itself. He wanted to die then, the pain too much to bear. But when he wanted it the most, his heart just wouldn't stop, just wouldn't give it to him.

Both Knuckles and Tails had left him, taking his heart with them, tearing it apart.

Sonic finally gained control of himself, and lifted his head from his hands, still struggling to breath. The sun was gone, swallowed by the ocean, and the moon rose overhead, dipping the land below in silver. Sonic looked up at the crescent moon, his eyes glistening still.

He cursed it all.

Silently, Sonic looked toward the house, and watched as the final light in the house flicked off. His past self and Tails were asleep. Tomorrow...Only one day...The day that would decide whether Sonic walked away with his life...or died where he would stand, fighting.

He layed down on the ground, watching the house, wondering why everything had to be destroyed. And before he knew it, his eyes slid closed, and he drifted into a restless sleep.

**--End of Chapter--**


	8. Smile

_Hey, and welcome to a new chapter! lol :D Seriously, though, heres the next chapter to my story. This is probably the semi-final chapter, so enjoy it!_

_And sorry for the delay. Life has been really, really busy lately._

_And I just turned 16! Hallehluah! xD_

**Chapter 6  
**Smile

_"...Borderlined  
Dead inside  
I don't mind, falling to pieces  
Count me in  
Violent  
Let's begin, feeding the sickness  
How do I, simplify?  
Dislocate  
The enemy's on the way..."  
_**- Unknown Soldier by Breaking Benjamin**

When Sonic awoke the next day, the sun was high in the sky. He blinked painfully in the light, struggling to adjust his eyes to the bright rays of the sun. He sat up, rubbing his eyes, and he was aware of how hollow his body felt, how unreal it felt to him. He dropped his hands to his side, squinted and blinking, and finally his eyes focused and he could see. Looking up, he noticed the sun was directly over top of him, sending it's warming rays down on him. He sighed, closing his eyes a moment.

Today was the day.

He hadn't forgotten how Knuckles had left, leaving him alone to fight this losing battle. In fact, he had replayed the entire event in his dreams. He still felt alone, grief-stricken, and betrayed. But he knew today, that would all be over. He knew today he would never feel this way again.

He opened his eyes and got to his feet, stretching his arms above his head. He knew in just a few hours, he would be leaving the house, off to the ruins where he would be ambushed by Metal. He felt his heart twisted slightly as he remembered the words he had last said to Tails before he left, the words he hadn't really meant. He still wished he could take them back, change them into something else entirely. He sighed quietly, turning toward the clearing.

The outside of the house was deserted, silent. Sonic knew he needed to watch the inside of the house today, without being seen. He had to make sure he made it to the ruins in time.

The hedgehog raced across the clearing, covering the distance in a matter of seconds. He laid against the house, as quiet as he could, and peeked through the low window. Nothing. The living room was empty. Slowly, Sonic creeped to the next window, the window connected to the kitchen, looking inside, Sonic saw himself, sitting at the table. He was staring at the table, thinking hard about something. Sonic found it odd, strangely odd, to watch himself through a window. It was like a vivid flashback...which was pretty much what it was in this case.

o

Just then, someone else entered the kitchen, and Sonic felt his heart skip two beats. A familar kitsune entered the room, a greeting smile on his face as he spoke to Sonic's past self. Though Sonic couldn't hear what the twin-tailed fox said, he imaged he could, hearing his best friend tell him good morning for the last time. For several moments, Sonic simply stared at Tails, unseen through the window. It had been so long since he had seen his younger brother, and the hedgehog yearned to go up to him, embrace him, and apologize for everything.

Just then, Tails exited the room, heading toward his workshop. Sonic watched him depart, that empty feeling in his heart growing, threatening to engulf Sonic whole. It was almost over...Everything would be back to normal soon. He looked back toward his past self, watching as the mirrored image of him stood from the table and walked to the fridge, taking out a can of soda. Such a normal routine... Then, the hedgehog left the room as well, heading into the living room.

For several moments, Sonic stood where he was, simply staring at the kitchen. Everything was so different now. There were no normal routines to Sonic's life. Everything was messed up, not the same. Sonic closed his eyes, looking away from the window, his heart hammering painfully. He couldn't believe how different everything was.

For the next several hours, Sonic observed the house, watching everything that happened that day. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, but Sonic took in every detail, every single thing that happened in the hours prior to Tails's death. He found everything strangely upsetting, just the way he constantly stayed out of his friends way.

It was around 5 in the evening when Sonic was forced to watch the beginning of the destruction of his life.

He saw his past self enter the living room, a famliar looking emerald in his hands. Something was shouted, and Tails entered the room, looking in shock at the object wedged in Sonic's fingers. Sonic, staring through the window, gritted his teeth together, watching the event unfold. Although the colbalt hedgehog could not hear the words past, he knew exactly what was being said. He watched as his past self shouted at Tails, causing the young kitsune to step back, his face etched in shock. At this, Sonic turned away, unable to watch any longer.

It was only when he heard the slam of the front door that Sonic dared to look back up.

Tears dripped from the hedgehogs eyes, tears he did not feel. The living room was empty, but Sonic could still see himself standing there, yelling at the young fox. He closed his eyes, shaking his head, the tears flying from his face. Without attempting to wipe them away, Sonic stood from his place in front of the living window, his legs stiff from sitting so long. Opening his eyes, the hedgehog raced to the back of the house, to the window looking into Tails's workshop. Heart hammering painfully, Sonic looked into the small window, seeing the kitsune sitting in the middle of his workshop, tears dripping from the kitsunes eyes. Sonic felt his heart wrench painfully, and the fox lifted his head slightly, teeth gritted as he struggled against the tears.

Sonic felt anger toward himself rise in his chest. This was what he had cause Tails to do. He had made the young fox cry, all because he didn't believe in him. For a moment, Sonic could hardly believe he let that happen, let his temper get so out of control he shouted at the fox. When he looked back into the workshop moments later, Tails was gone, and the workshop was empty.

Gritting his teeth, tears spilling down his face, Sonic stood again. He let out an anguished yell that echoed around him, and then he took off, knowing exactly where he was going.

He was going to stop all of this, going to keep everything from happening again.

**-x-x-x-**

It wasn't long before Sonic found himself near the familar ruins where so much had happened. He was panting, his anger at a boiling point, toward both himself and Metal. Sonic slowed down, his feet nearly crumbling underneath him. But he kept going, the determination of helping Tails not allowing him to quit. It wasn't much longer than Sonic found himself at the ruins, staring at the old towers with a hatred so strong that, if looks could kill, the towers would be destroyed.

The hedgehog looked toward the clearing near the ruins, and he saw it. A flash of blue, another flash, and a crash was heard, followed by a cry of pain. Sonic clenched his fist, gritted his teeth, the adrenaline rushing through his body.

This was it. The end was close.

Sonic raced to the other end of the clearing, dirt flying up behind him as he rushed to his destination, to the place he could quiet possibly fall tonight. History was repeating itself, and to a certain point, Sonic would let it.

But not everything was staying the same tonight.

He watched the battle play out from behind a pillar, hidden from sight. He watched his past self and Metal fight, throwing kicks and punches. Several times, past Sonic was thrown away from the battle, his body crashing against the rock wall. But he always recovered, dealing quiet a few blows to Metal as well. For awhile, Sonic simply watched them, refusing to step in until a chosen time.

His heart was hammering with anger, with determination...with fear. For the first time, Sonic felt the fear of the moment trickle into his heart. And he had no idea what he was afraid of. Fear was the other enemy here, and Sonic was not going to let the fear stop him from what he was going to do. He was going to stop this from happening...or die trying.

Either way, it didn't matter to him.

It was quiet suddenly that Sonic felt something crash into his side, sending him flying into the pillar close to him. Pain shot through his body, and he quickly got to his feet, searching for the thing that struck him. A lone, dark figure stood in front of him, red eyes narrowed. For a moment, Sonic thought it was Metal, the robot coming to stop him from stopping his earlier crime, but when the figure stepped into the moonlight, Sonic realized it was Shadow, and the hedgehog did not look happy.

"I told you, Sonic," the hedgehog growled, his fists clenched. "I can only let it go so far. Quit now, and leave." Sonic snarled at the keeper of time, his own fist clenching.

"And if I refuse?" the hedgehog growled back, narrowing his green eyes. Shadow narrowed his own, lifting his fist to deliever another blow to the colbalt hedgehog.

"Then you die as well!" the dark hedgehog shouted, aiming a punch for Sonic's face. But the hedgehog dodged, leaping out of the way of the punch. A gloved hand was brung down on dark quills, causing the dark hedgehog to fall to the ground. Sonic flew over Shadow's head, landing behind him. He raced at the keeper of time, fist raised to deliever a blow to the hedgehogs side.

"I will not quit!" he shouted, throwing his fist at the hedgehog. But Shadow twisted to the side, dodging, aiming his own punch at Sonic. The fist hit across Sonic's chest, sending him flying a few feet backwards, the breath knocked out of him. He struggled to regain his breath, stumbling to his feet. By then, Shadow was there, aiming another blow to Sonic's side. The colbalt hedgehog leaped into the air, away from the punch, and Sonic kicked Shadow in the back of the head, sending the black hedgehog plowing into the ground. With a loud battle cry, Sonic flew at the keeper of Time, landing a kick to Shadow's side. Shadow rolled, coming to a stop a few feet away, motionless. Sonic, panting, wiped blood from his lip, shaking his head slightly.

"You won't stop me, Shadow," Sonic growled, turning away. "I won't stop." Turning back to the battle, Sonic saw himself being thrown back again. Metal was flying at him, landing a punch to his past self's face. Sonic was plowed into the ground, Metal aiming another attack.

It was then that Sonic saw something from the corner of his eye. A small orange dot, blue eyes wide, watching the battle from behind a bush. Tails was there, ready to leap in. Sonic gasped, his heart stopping momentarily. This was it. The last moments of Tails life.

And Sonic was here to stop his death.

He started toward the kitsune, who was staring at the battle playing out in front of him. Sonic saw a sudden flash of blue, and before he could see what it was, something crashed into his side, and with a cry, Sonic was slammed into a stone pillar, rock falling away from the stone upon impact. Sonic, ignoring the pain, leaped to his feet, coming face to face with Metal, who was grinning at him.

"Not today, hedgehog," Metal chuckled, looking toward Tails evilly. "He will die, just like he did before."

Once more, Sonic felt rage explode in his veins, and once more, Sonic felt himself changing. His blood burned, his vision turning red. A strange sound emerged from his throat, and Sonic felt the boiling of his blood in every pore, felt himself giving into the blinding rage. With a scream of utter rage, Sonic launched himself Metal, colbalt blue fur now a midnight black. His fist collided with Metal's hard body, time after time after time again. The robot couldn't counter all of the attacks, and before long, Sonic sent the robot plowing straight into the ground. Vision burning red, Sonic growled, racing toward the robot and sending a swift kick into the robots side.

"You will die _tonight_, Metal!" he screamed as the robot was sent flying several feet into the air before crashing down yards away. Sonic stared at the motionless robot a moment longer, fist clenched. With rage burning in his body, Sonic turned back to the battle in the clearing, his vision flashing white before the change was over, and Sonic returned to normal.

He saw it immediatly. Past Metal flew toward past Sonic in a whirlwind, twisting and turning in the air, quills sharp and ready to tear through past Sonic like paper. He saw Tails at the same time, a horrified look on his face, blue eyes burning. Sonic's own eyes widened, watching as Tails got closer and closer to the end of his life.

"_No_!" he screamed, taking off like a bullet toward the scene that seemed to play in slow motion. His past self stared at Metal, as the robot got closer and closer. Tails stepped right in front of the hedgehog, arms outstretched, just as Metal was closing in on the hedgehog. Then, Sonic was there. Without a moments hesitation, he shoved the kitsune away, the twin-tailed fox staring in horror at him as he fell to the ground.

And for a moment, the world was still.

Sonic stared at Tails, who stared back, horror-stricken. His past self stood behind Sonic, not moving, and Tails was in mid-air, falling to the ground. Sonic was standing, arms pushing Tails away, Metal mere inches from him. Still, Sonic could not turn away from Tails.

And just as the world began turning again, Sonic the Hedgehog smiled.

He felt the metal quills of the robot tear into him, the flesh ripping like paper. He saw the blood, spraying the air like scarlet water. He saw Tails, on the ground, staring at Sonic, terrified and horror-stricken.

And still, Sonic smiled.

The quills still tore through him, but he didn't feel the pain. Sonic felt nothing, nothing at all. It was like he was floating, alone. But he knew...he knew the moment Metal tore through him that it was all over.

The nightmare had ended...and now everything was over.

For only mere seconds did Tails fill Sonic's vision. Seconds after Metal's quills tore through him, Sonic's words was drenched in crimson, and he felt himself falling, falling, falling.

And still yet, he continued smiling.

"_Sonic!_"

**-End of Chapter-**

_OMG! BEST ENDING EVAH! 0_

_I felt incredably creeped out writing this chapter. The ending to me, was phenominal. And only I know what happens next. So haha to my readers that don't know._

_-is chased with flamethower-_


	9. Finale

_Final Chapter. Final chapter. I can't believe I've made it this far. I still can't believe how far this story has come, and I can't believe I have finally come to the end of a great story. From all the completed stories on my profile, this would have to be the most challenging. I enjoyed every minute writing this, and always looked forward to the next chapter, planning and plotting new twists and turns to include._

_And as I find myself at the end, I still can't believe it._

_I've put my entire heart into this piece, which will only see the pages of fanfiction, and not my own hardcovered book. Let me tell you, if this was not a fanfiction, I would indeed try my best to get it published. And thats where my readers come in. I wrote this for me, but I mostly wrote it for you, for the people that would read it._

_Thank you so much for keeping me going this long._

**Chapter 7**

Finale

_"...So Here We Are,_

_Fighting and trying to hide the scars_

_I'll be home tonight, take a breath and softly say_

_Goodbye..._

_The lonely road, the one that I_

_Should try to walk alone_

_I'll be home tonight, take a breath and softly say_

_Goodbye..."_

_-Here We Are by Breaking Benjamin_

It was strange, so strange, to feel...nothing at all. No pain, no emotion. Nothing. It was like a dark, dreamless sleep, floating in a vast, endless abyss. And not being able to remember why he was there, why he was alone, without feeling, without emotion. He didn't know why he was emotionless, why he couldn't remember anything. All he knew was this black abyss, the lack of feeling. That was it. In fact, he enjoyed being ignorant of what was going on. He wanted to stay this way, forever. He didn't even dare to open his eyes.

All around him was silent, almost deafeningly silent. And then, from the never-ending abyss, he heard shouting. At first it was faint, and he couldn't make out what it was saying. But closer and closer it got, louder and louder, and he could clearly hear it shouting.

Sonic...

Sonic? Who was that? Could that possibly be his very own name? For several moments, he simply listened to the voice, admiring the tone, the angelic way it spoke, as it got louder and louder.

Sonic...

The voice began to frustrate him. Who was this Sonic? He didn't know anyone named Sonic. He didn't even know his own name! For several minutes, the voice called out the name, and he tried to ignore it, tried to sink back in to the abyss in which he floated. Go away, please... he begged silently. Leave me alone... The voice continued, calling the name it so searched for. And finally, he opened his eyes, unable to avoid the voice any longer. All he saw was darkness, darkness stretching forever all around him. He was floating in the middle of the darkness, alone, and he looked around, wondering where the voice came from.

Where are you? he called out, though no sound escaped his lips. He was perplexed by this, but he still continued searching. Who are you?

Suddenly, from the darkness was a flash of light, illuminating the abyss. He was blinded momentarily by the sudden appearance of the light, and was forced to squint against the rays. He heard the name again, shouted from somewhere inside the light. Squinting into the blinding light, he took a single forward, then another, and found himself surrounded by the strange light. Again he heard the name, and he stared into the lit abyss.

Who are you? he shouted, again no noise coming from his mouth. Who do you want? He took another step forward, and saw something in the distance. He squinted again, staring at the small black dot somewhere ahead. Wondering if this was who was calling, he walked toward the figure, hand over his eyes to block to blinding light. He got closer and closer, and the figure got bigger and bigger. Still, the voice continued shouting, calling the name over and over, a kind of desperate ring mixing with the angelic shouts.

Who are you? he shouted again, becoming increasingly annoyed from the lack of answer. What do you want? It was then that the light disappeared, like someone switching off a light switch, and he was left in the darkness once more, alone. He stood there several moments, waiting, waiting, for anything to happen.

Sonic...

The voice was coming from behind him now, and something inside him flickered like a flare, something familiar he still didn't recall. He whipped around, arms instinctual curling into fists in front of him. His feet spread apart slightly, his teeth gritting together as he turned to face the stranger calling a strange name. He gasped when he turned around, eyes trained on the figure standing directly in front of him, not 10 feet away. With a pointed muzzle, blue eyes, and orange fur, the figure shocked him, and in a single instant, he remembered everything.

It all came rushing back, everything he had forgotten, all leading up to the final second when the quills ripped through him, crimson filling his vision...

His head snapped back, and he remembered everything.

Sonic... the figure in front of him said, a smile spreading across his face. For a moment, he simply stood there, staring at the fox in front of him, eyeing the twin-tails that twitched steadily behind him.

And Sonic the Hedgehog stood in front of Miles 'Tails' Prower for the first time since his death.

"Sonic..." Tails whispered, his blue eyes glittering gently. "It's been awhile, Sonic." The blue hedgehog blinked slowly, eyes filling with tears he didn't even feel.

"Tails..." the hedgehog whispered back, his hands shaking in front of him, still curled into fists. "Tails, is it really you?" The kitsune nodded, and Sonic felt his knees buckle slightly, a smile spreading across his own face as he stared at his little brother. After a few seconds, the kitsune's smile fell away from his face, his eyes dropping to the ground.

"Sonic...what did you do?" the kitsune asked, shaking his head, and Sonic cocked his head, perplexed by the foxes question. And then he remembered...He had shoved Tails out of the way, resulting in his own death, fulfilling the mission he had promised to complete. Sonic hesitated, unable to answer, looking away. Silence controlled the endless abyss for several seconds before Sonic looked back up at Tails, eyes swimming with unshed tears.

"I...I couldn't live with it, Tails," the hedgehog explained, clenching his fists together. "It was my fault you died, my fault Metal killed you." He gritted his teeth, shaking his head. Tears spilled from his eyes, falling down his face and into the endless darkness below him. "I...I had to stop it, I had...I had to keep it from happening." For several seconds, Tails said nothing, looking at the darkness below him. Sonic couldn't stand the silence, couldn't stand the way Tails wouldn't look at him. Finally, the fox looked back up, his own blue eyes shining with moisture.

"There was a reason I died, Sonic," Tails explained, his eyes not leaving Sonic's. "There was a reason I was killed that day. Sonic...I did that to save your life." He paused, blinking. "I knew what was going to happen, I knew I would probably die if I leaped in front of you like that. I knew what I was doing, what I was ending." He paused, and Sonic watched a single tear roll down the young kitsunes face. Sonic's own eyes were blurred with tears. "But I did that because I knew I had to save you, that I had...I had to keep Metal from killing you." He stopped, his voice breaking at the last words. After a few seconds, he continued again, his voice shaky. "I couldn't live with that, I couldn't live knowing..." His voice trailed away, tears dripping from his eyes down his face. Sonic stared at Tails, not saying anything, tears sliding slowly down his face. He simply stared, his eyes never leaving the form of his best friend, his younger brother.

"That's the same reason I went back to save you," Sonic started, swallowing the lump in his throat. "I couldn't live with that, with you being dead." He paused, attempting to keep his voice steady. "I had to...I had to save you, I had to try." Tails looked back up at him, his blue eyes shining with tears. "And when I found that those emeralds could help me...I jump at the chance. I had to try, even if it meant killing me." For a moment, silence reigned, neither moving. Then, Tails, his brilliant blue eyes swimming, smiled at him, a smile that struck sorrow into Sonic's heart.

"Sometimes, Sonic, things can't be changed. Sometimes...sometimes things are meant to be, meant to stay the way they are." Tails lost control of his voice near the end, and paused, clearing his throat. "Did you honestly think those emeralds would save me?" A small, sad chuckled escaped Tails throat. "Not everything can be changed, Sonic." Sonic opened his mouth, shaking his head.

"No...There was a way. I'm dead. I'm dead, I changed it!" The hedgehog shook his head, squinting his eyes shut. "I know I changed it! Metal...Metal tore right through me!" Sonic opened his eyes back up, looking desperately, pleadingly, at his younger brother, who stood in front of him, tears pouring silently from his eyes. "How could I have not changed it?"

Tails smiled again, coming closer to Sonic until he was standing directly in front of him. "You can't sacrifice yourself for me. You just...you just can't." The fox shook his head, uttering a sad laugh. "It's got to stay this way, Sonic. You have to stay alive, and I have...I have to remained dead." Tails looked Sonic dead in the eye, tears streaming down both brothers faces.

"No, Tails..." Sonic whispered, shaking his head. "No...I can't...I can't..." The kitsune shook his head firmly, but the sadness was easily seen by the tears dripping from his eyes.

"Sonic, there is so much you've taught me, so much you don't even realize," the fox said, still smiling. "And nows my chance you teach you something." The foxes voice broke, and he paused, closing his eyes a moment. When he reopened them, a strong determination was there, fighting against the sorrow he was feeling. "Sometimes, we have to let go, we have to keep going even when someone else can't. We have to be strong and keep going, even when things are dark." He paused, blue eyes shining. "Here's where you learn, Sonic. Here's where you learn how to say goodbye." Hedgehog and fox stared at each other, the unspoken brother ship between them shining in their glistening eyes. Sonic didn't want to keep going, didn't want to be strong and let go of Tails. He struggled to understand, to accept the fact it was over.

It was over...and Tails was not coming home.

The kitsune smiled sadly, his face damp from tears rolling down his face. He lifted his right hand over his head, holding it out in front of him. His eyes squinted slightly, tears flowing more freely now.

"Brothers...until the very end...right Sonic?" Tails's voice cracked again, the sentence ending with a quiet sob. Sonic smiled sadly at his younger brother, lifting his own hand into the air. The two brothers joined hands, each shaking the other. Swallowing the lump in his throat and attempting to control his voice, Sonic answered Tails's question, the two still with their hands joined.

"Brothers...until the end of time, Tails," the hedgehog said, and both brothers let out a strangled sob at the same time, coming forward in an embrace, tears spilling from their eyes. For several minutes, both brothers held each other, both sobbing quietly. Then, they separated, each looking at the other. Then, in a blinding flash of light, Sonic felt himself being pulled away, called toward something else.

"Tails...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..." he called, closing his eyes as he was pulled away.

"Keep going, Sonic...Don't give up...You, me, and Knuckles will all be together soon...I'll wait for you guys forever." Sonic had more to say, more to tell, but he was being called somewhere else, and instead gave an loud sob.

"Goodbye, Tails! Goodbye..."

-x-x-x-

There was a bright flash before Sonic, and in a single instant, Sonic was opening his eyes, lying on his back on the ground. The moon was overhead, casting an eerie light over the world around him. Sonic shot up from where he lay, looking around quickly at his surroundings. He was at the ruins, surrounded by the broken stones of a pillar. Sonic's hands flew to his torso, gripping the place where a gaping wound should be. But there was no gaping hole inside him. There was no wound at all. Sonic examined his torso, wondering how, why, what happened.

He got to his feet, swaying slightly before regaining his footing. He looked around, finding himself alone, standing in the middle of the ruins. Sonic starting walking around the ruins, not bothering to run, simply walking to the corner of the ruins.

When he turned the corner, he knew what had happened. He stopped where he was, staring at the blood stains on the ground, not even dried yet. Pain struck Sonic's heart, and the hedgehog winced, but not looking away. Instead, he starting walking closer, looking past the blood, seeing what he knew he would see.

His past self was hovered over a limp body, sobbing. Twin tails laid limp on the ground in front of him, and Sonic felt tears filling his eyes, and he looked away. Things had been set the way they had been before, and Sonic could do nothing to change them, however much he wanted to.

"Sometimes, we have to let go, we have to keep going even when someone else can't. We have to be strong and keep going, even when things are dark."

The hedgehog closed his eyes, remembering the kitsunes voice ringing in his ear. With a sigh, Sonic looked back at the battlefield, his heart twisting painfully. The pain weighing him down, Sonic forced himself to turn away from the bloodstained field, and walked into the bushes, leaving his past behind him. He stepped into the bushes, simply walking, not caring where he was going. Just as long as he could get as far away from here as possible.

"Sonic?"

The hedgehog jumped, his fist raising to his sides. He whipped around to face the voice, his eyes landing on the red figure of Knuckles the Echidna. Sonic said nothing, simply dropping his arms at his sides. Without a word, the hedgehog turned away, walking away from Knuckles.

"How did you...?" the echidna said, picking his pace up and coming to walk beside him. He stepped in front of Sonic, forcing the hedgehog to stop and look at him. Shock was etched into the echidna's face as he stared at him. "What...what happened?"

For a moment, Sonic said nothing. He looked at his feet, swallowing the lump in his throat. Finally, he spoke, his eyes closed.

"Tails...changed everything," the hedgehog replied, looking back up. "He told me I had to say goodbye, that I had...I had to let him go." The echidna simply stared at Sonic, and Sonic shook his head, tears filling his vision.

"I told you it wouldn't work." A voice from the shadows nearby forced Sonic to twist into fight mode, and he turned, his fists raised. Shadow stepped from the bushes, his red eyes narrowed. "I told you it would only cause chaos in the end." Sonic said nothing, looking away from the dark hedgehog. "The past isn't meant to be changed, Sonic," the dark hedgehog replied quietly, his eyes dark. "Things cannot be changed."

"I know that now," Sonic replied, still not looking up. "I know all of that." He lifted his head, eyes narrowed, unshed tears glistening. "I cannot change what happened. No matter what I do, Tails will never come back." He paused, clutching at his chest, feeling the beat of his heart against his hand. "But I still have to keep going, keep walking, even if I walk alone." He stopped, looking up at Knuckles, who was looking at Sonic, his violet eyes filled with sorrow. "But I don't think I'll be walking alone." Knuckles gave Sonic a sad smile, and both friends joined hands in their special gesture.

"I'll always walk with you and Tails, Sonic," the echidna replied, his violet eyes glistening with unshed tears. Both hedgehog and echidna grinned at each other tearfully, embracing in a short hug. "And I'm sorry for leaving...I'm sorry for not

"At least now you understand," Shadow sighed, looking away from both friends. "Nothing can be changed if it has already happened. Though I can't say I don't know where you're coming from, because I do." Sonic watched Shadow, the midnight black hedgehog slipping into silence as ghosts of his past swam in his eyes.

"Is there any way for us to get home?" Sonic asked Shadow, his green eyes shimmering. The black hedgehog looked at him, giving a short nod.

"Yes...We can go back to the present. And this is the last time you'll visit the past." The hedgehogs red eyes narrowed. "Just so you know that." Sonic nodded, looking over his shoulder back at the battlefield. He could still see the ruins from where he stood. There was a rumble of thunder above them, and only seconds later, a raindrop landed on the top of Sonic's head. "If you're ready to go, follow me." Shadow began to walk away, but Sonic stopped.

"Wait, Shadow," the cobalt hedgehog said, not turning to look at Shadow. The rain started falling harder around them, thunder rumbling again. "I have one more thing to do." Without waiting for an answer from either Knuckles or Shadow, Sonic walked toward the ruins, peering through the bushes at the form of his past self hovering over Tails's body. Lightning pierced the sky, followed by thunder. Rain dripped down Sonic's quills, falling to the ground, as he watched his past self pick Tails up from the ground, walking slowly toward the Mystic Ruins. Sonic stood solemnly watching, tears mixing with the rain.

For a moment, he felt the same emotions he had that same day, as he dragged Tails home, still not believing he was dead. He gritted his teeth, watching himself walk toward the Mystic Ruins, dragging the body of his best friend. And then, Sonic felt relief mixing with the grief, with the pain. Relief and acceptance, understanding, mixed with the thousands of other emotions threatening to engulf him.

"Here's where you learn, Sonic. Here's where you learn how to say goodbye."

He knew Tails was right, even though he didn't want to accept it. Sonic was unable to bring Tails back home, and he knew he must accept that fact, and keep walking through the rough parts of dealing with it. Nothing would ever be the same, but he would have to learn to live with it. He knew Tails was somewhere, waiting, waiting for him and Knuckles to join him, where they would finally be together again.

Warm tears trickling down his face, Sonic watched as his past self disappeared into the bushes. He closed his eyes, shaking slightly, sobbing silently. He knew that as long as he lived, he would miss Tails, and not a day would go by that he wouldn't think of him. But there was no bringing back the kitsune, no hoping for his sudden return into his life. Tails was forever gone.

And Sonic now realized there was nothing he could do to change it.

It was then, just as thunder rumbled across the sky he heard a piercing scream somewhere nearby, echoing across the forest. Sonic gritted his teeth, opening his eyes and looking at the moon in the sky. Lightning flashed through the darkness, lighting up the area around him. Something caught his eye from across the clearing, and he tensed. Two red eyes were staring at him through the rain, the lightning reflecting off the metallic blue body of a robot. In the instant the lightning lit up the sky, Sonic saw the extent of the robots injuries from his previous attack. Many scratches were raked across the metal body, and dents were visible in the metal as well. And just as soon as the lightning was there, illuminating the evil robot, it was gone, plunging the world back into darkness.

But Sonic could still see Metal, could still see the red, glaring eyes. He was prepared to fight the doppelganger, to destroy him this time if he had to. He clenched his fists, narrowing his eyes coldly. Lightning split the sky again, and Sonic watched the robot, red eyes narrowing. A moment passed, and the robot nodded at Sonic, a simply jerk of the head. Without blinking, Sonic nodded as well, not moving. Then, after another instant, lightning flashed, and the robot was gone.

Sonic stood there in the bushes, rain dripping off of him, staring at the place where Metal stood last. It was really over, all of it. Though he never knew the next time the robot would decide to attack him, for now, they were at...well, a kind of truce, though Sonic would never forgive or forget what Metal had done to him.

His green eyes shining in the darkness, Sonic turned away from the ruins, to come face to face with Knuckles, who stood behind him, staring at the moon. Tears were trickling down his face, mixing with the rain falling all around them. The echidna looked at Sonic, giving him a single sad smile. Sonic smiled back, closing his eyes.

"It's all over, Knuckles," he told the echidna, his voice breaking just slightly. "It's all over."

Together, Sonic and Knuckles made their way back to Shadow, who waiting for them just inside the forest. Sonic nodded at him, and silently, the three walked toward the Mystic Ruins. It was a silent journey, something Sonic viewed as a vigil for Tails, who had fallen in the end after all. As they walked, Sonic looked up at the moon, just visible behind the rain clouds. Thunder rumbled above them, the ground beneath them shaking slightly. He remembered Tails as he stared at the moon, recalled all of those times he spent with the young kitsune, times he always took for granted. Now he knew he would give anything to have them again, just a simply hello in the mornings, and a simply good night at night. Sonic knew he would pay anything to have Tails back.

He remembered seeing the kitsune for the final time, his final smile as they hugged, both crying. He recalled his voice, the way it rung around Sonic. Although he hated Tails was gone, he would respect the final wishes of the fox, and keep moving ahead, even if it meant crawling alone.

It wasn't long before they reached the trees behind Sonic's home in the Mystic Ruins. They headed inside the house, closing the door behind them. Sonic looked at the inside of the house, how different it looked, though it was exactly the same. He sighed, closing his eyes. Without speaking, Sonic walked out of the living room, into Tails's workshop. From there, he walked toward the plane. Knuckles watched as the hedgehog bent next to the plane, though he did not know what he was doing. Then, the hedgehog stood up, walking back toward Shadow and Knuckles. Knuckles did not ask what he had been doing, feeling it was none of his business.

Shadow looked at both Knuckles and Sonic before a jewel appeared in his hands, a large, glowing red stone. Sonic stared at the gem, then back at the house. They were going back to the present. It was all really over.

"Now, both of you, come and touch the stone," Shadow told them, holding out the large stone. Without a word, Sonic and Knuckles stepped forward, placing their hands on the stone. The gem felt hard and cold beneath Sonic's hand, but he could also feel the power within the stone, how it coursed through the gem. He looked up at Shadow, whose face twisted as if he were angry. "I command you, send us back from the time in which we came!" the hedgehog shouted, and suddenly, the jewel beneath their hands lit up with a blinding red light. For a moment, Sonic was shocked at the bright light, shocked by the power he could feel in the stone. Lightning pierced the sky above him, seen through the window nearby, and thunder rumbled loudly. And suddenly, Sonic felt himself jerk forward, hard and fast. Surprised by the movement, he nearly stumbled, but kept his ground. Around him, blurred images flashed by, a mile a minute. And then, just as suddenly as it began, it was over.

Sonic took a deep breath, stepping away from where he stood. He looked around, and found himself on Angel Island, the Master Emerald resting in its place in the middle of the island. Sonic stared at the large jem as it turned in the middle of the island. Beside him, Knuckles sighed, dropping his head.

"Did that really happen?" the echidna said, and Sonic wondered if he was simply talking to himself. Sonic turned back to face Shadow, but the black hedgehog was gone, as if he had disappeared into thin air. Sonic stood looking at the ocean that stretched out past the island, a solemn feeling in his stomach.

It was time to start crawling.

"Keep going, Sonic...Don't give up..."

Sonic smiled slightly, tears blurring his vision slightly.

"I will Tails. I promise I will," he whispered, turning away from the ocean. He looked at Knuckles who looked back. They were on their own, and Tails was not coming home. Sonic the Hedgehog and Knuckles the Echidna smiled sadly at each other, and at the same time, both set off toward the bridge, heading to Sonic's house in the Mystic Ruins.

A house that would forever be empty of Tails.

-x-x-x-

Sonic climbed up the hill to the house, staring at the small hut that belonged to him and Tails. The door was shut, just the way it had been left when Sonic and Knuckles left for Angel Island. Without a word, the hedgehog stepped to the door, placing his hand on the handle, and opening it slowly.

Though Sonic knew nothing had changed inside, he expected something to be different. And although all the furniture was in the right spot and nothing was missing, there was indeed something different about the place. Maybe it was Tails's spirit with them, guiding them and showing them everything would be okay. Or maybe it was simply because Sonic was seeing the home in a new light, as a place he would live until he and Tails met once again.

He walked into the living room, staring at the pictures on the wall. All of them were of Tails, Knuckles and Sonic, goofing off one way or another. As he passed by the photos, Sonic couldn't help but smile, realizing what time they spent together would never be lost.

He turned away from the pictures, facing Knuckles who stood watching Sonic at the door. Sonic's emerald eyes were glistening with unshed tears, but still the hedgehog smiled at the echidna, assuring him it would be okay.

"You know, I always believed I taught Tails everything," the hedgehog started, looking down at the floor. "But now I know I was wrong." He paused, turning to the nearest picture of Tails on the wall. "He taught me the most important thing, Knuckles. The one thing I needed to learn most of all."

"What did he teach you, Sonic?" the echidna asked quietly. "What important thing did he teach you."

Sonic looked up from the ground, his green eyes shimmering.

"He taught me to hold on, to keep going, to stay strong. He taught me that life is valuable, that things can't be changed, that things happen for a reason." He paused a moment, blinking quickly. "But the most important thing he taught me...He show me how to let go of something, to walk alone...to say goodbye." Sonic sniffed gently, looking from the wall to Knuckles. "And there is no greater lesson than what he taught me."

For a moment, Sonic stood looking at the pictures, then he turned without another word, heading into Tails's workshop. He turned the light switch on, the bulb on the ceiling flickering on. He walked toward the plane, opening the hatched where he had found the hidden emerald. Inside was a small piece of paper, folded neatly, near the back of the compartment. Sniffing gently, Sonic took the paper out of the plane and unfolding it, staring at what was written inside.

"Sometimes, we have to let go, we have to keep going even when someone else can't. We have to be strong and keep going, even when things are dark."

Staring at the paper, Sonic clutched it to his heart, closing his eyes as tears dripped from his face. The words, written in his handwriting, smeared as the tears struck the paper. Quietly he cried, for everything he lost, everything he learned, and everything he would never get back.

Sonic had started the healing process on his own...and he was slowly crawling through life, refusing to give up.

Miles 'Tails' Prower had taught Sonic the Hedgehog the one thing he needed to know.

And now Sonic knew how to say goodbye.

**-End of Story-**

_Thank you so much for your support on this story. I enjoyed every word I typed, every plot twist I made. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. )  
Thanks for reading, and look for a possible epilouge soon.  
-AikoChanSoT_


	10. Epilouge: Sacrifice

_Here's the epilouge to Forgiveness. ) I'm really glad I finished this story. The plot and the story itself meant so much to me. Now it's officially done. ) Hope you enjoy the epilouge to probably the best story I've written._

_The song lyrics within the story are from the song _Sacrifice _by _Creed_. Ididn'tuse the chorus, because its too...lovey. xD But I used the rest of the song.  
Thanks for reading, everyone!_

**Epilouge  
**Sacrifice

The Mystic Ruins were silent. The entire area seemed to be empty of any life, of any moving, living thing. The weak sun warmed the cold air slightly, hidden almost fully behind the thick coat of clouds. Snow fell lightly from the sky, a brief layer of it already covering the ground. Winter had found itself inside the ruins, bringing the bitter cold and snowy climate with it.

The roof of the small home that rested on the hilltop, overlooking the ocean, was covered in snow. The windows of the home were closed, the snow falling hitting the glass and melting almost immediately. There was a melancholy feeling to the small place, a bittersweet feeling almost.

A sound suddenly came from the home, and the front door opened slowly. A shadow emerged from the dim room into the dim sunlight. The light sunlight lit up the cobalt blue fur of the hedgehog that came from the house, dressed only in a small red jacket. He shut the door behind him, stepping outside into the cold air. His green eyes narrowed in thought as he looking toward the stretching landscape before him, and a somber feeling arose in his chest quiet suddenly. Green eyes looked away from the landscape, closing as he turned away.

It had been nearly a year since Sonic the Hedgehog had failed in his attempt to save his best friend from his untimely death. Miles 'Tails' Prower was still buried beside the waterfall, a place Sonic visited every single day.

Although it had already been nearly a year, Sonic still awoke every morning to the same flashbacks. He would never forget how Tails had died, never forget how Metal had tore through the fox like paper. He would never fully understand why Tails had to leave him, but he knew that he had to accept it.

Sonic opened his green eyes, looking toward the waterfall. In the cold temperature, the water had attempted to freeze in the pond, but the fierce movement of the waterfall had prevented the water from freezing. But from where he stood, Sonic could see the bits of frozen water near the edges of the back in the pond. But Sonic didn't focus on the ice long. His eyes flashed to the large boulder sitting away from the edges of the lake, something Sonic always wished would never be there.

_Hello my friend, we meet again  
It's been awhile, where should be begin?  
Feels like forever_

The hedgehog sighed quietly, the grief building within him as it did every morning. His breath rose in front of him in a cloud of fog, and Sonic watched as it traveled up through the air before disappearing into the atmosphere. He had been healing on his own, slowly crawling toward his goal of no longer feeling as much pain as he had before. And he was improving. No longer did he immediately begin sobbing with guilt when he looked at the empty kitsunes bed. No longer would he blame himself for everything that happened, although he still believe some things were his fault. But he was no where near finished with his recovery. Still, the hedgehog found himself going into the workshop at night to tell Tails that it was late. And when he didn't see the kitsune sitting among his tools or working on the plane, Sonic would feel the aching in his heart again, and turn away from the workshop. And every night, the hedgehog would grab two plates instead of one, setting a place for both of them to eat. When the kitsune wouldn't appear after he called, Sonic would suddenly remember, and burst out in tears.

It was always heartwrenching to find himself in these positions, but it was almost impossible for him to go an entire day without calling for Tails when he wasn't there. But slowly, the hedgehog was healing, finding himself once more.

Sonic started walking down the hill, watching his feet as he did so. It was a vigil to the hedgehog, to walk to Tails's grave and not run. He felt he was respecting his memory by not rushing to the kitsune's grave everyday. He always took his time, remembering all the goofing off they used to do. He would recall times when he and Tails would gang up on Knuckles for some prank, or when the two would stay up all night simply talking and laughing about something stupid. These were the things Sonic wanted to remember about his friends. This was what made his face twist into sad smiles, but smiles nonetheless.

_Within my heart are memories  
Of perfect love that you gave to me  
Oh, I remember_

It wasn't long before the hedgehog found himself in front of the lake, looking at himself in the waters reflection. He had been taking better care of himself too. His fur was no longer as dull as before, and his eyes were not as lifeless. He was truely forcing himself to walk away from what happened, and not turn around like he did before. But he always wished that there was still a way to bring him back somehow.

Sonic turned away from the lake, walking toward the large stone pushed deep into the ground. Grass had growed over the mound of dirt they had dug up, although one could still tell there was a grave here. Sonic stopped in front of the grave, looking down at the tombstone. Sometimes, Sonic would slip into a state of shock when seeing the tombstone, for something in the hedgehog still refused to believe that he was dead. But now Sonic would simply stare at the ground where his friend was buried, wondering why things had to be this way. His green eyes glanced at the tombstone, reading the foxes name slowly. It was still hard for the hedgehog to accept the fact he would never see him again. But it was getting easier to get up and face the day without him.

"I miss you, buddy," the hedgehog said, smiling sadly. "Not a day goes by that I don't remember what you told me. But I still blame myself." He paused, looking down at the ground. "I think I could've done something more to save you...I still believe I could've saved you. I think I'll always believe that." He chuckled sadly, burying his hands into his jacket pockets. He cleared his throat, swallowing the lump in his throat. "I'm slowly healing, Tails. I'm slowly beginning to adjust...But it'll never be the same." A long silence stretched after his words. A wind picked up around him, gently ruffling his jacket and blowing through his fur. After the silence, Sonic looked up from the ground, looking at the tombstone.

_We've seen our shares of ups and downs  
Oh, how quickly life can turn around  
In an instant_

"I still think...I'll always feel alone in that house. I will never feel the same being alone there." He paused, blinking away the tears that were beginning to fill his eyes. "I hope you know that. I hope you know I really miss my little brother." A brief smile crept on his lips. "Brothers until the very end of time, Tails. Just...wait for me and Knuckles." Determined to not cry, the hedgehog pulled a small flower from his jacket pocket, a simple flower he had found near the house. He placed the flower on the mound of dirt, staring at the grave of his little brother for a moment longer before turning away.

"Love ya, little brother," the hedgehog whispered, closing his eyes and walking away.

The moment he was away from the lake, Sonic the Hedgehog let out a brief, quiet sob, tears flying from his closed eyes. He jerked to a brief stop before exploding into a run, his feet flying beneath him.

With grief pulling at him in all directions, Sonic the Hedgehog ran away from the lake, not caring where he was going.

_It feels so good to reunite  
Within yourself and within your mind  
Let's find peace there_

Upon one of the cliffs overlooking the lake stood a lone figure, his violet eyes watching the hedgehog burst into a run. His eyes followed the hedgehog for as long as he could see him before they twisted toward the small grave of Miles 'Tails' Prower. A brief twinkling of pain entered the irises, and he shook his head, unable to understand still what had happened. Silently, the figure turned away, disappearing into the shadow.

_I just want to say hello again_

From somewhere above him, another figure watched, his eyes trained on the far away form of Sonic as he ran. His body whirred gently as he looked down at the small grace near the lake, the crashing sound of the waterfall reaching his sensitive ears. Thoughtfully, red eyes narrowed, and after a moment, Metal was gone in a flash of blue light.

_I just want to say hello again_

The wind picked up again, blowing the still falling snow through the air. And Sonic, Knuckles, and Metal could almost swear they heard the quiet laughter of Tails as the wind blew through the dead trees.

_My sacrifice..._

**End of Story**


End file.
